New York: More than 1,000 charter school parents rally in Albany to convince the state to let charter schools compete for state funding for pre-K (Fox23 News). Montana: Lawmakers hear from parents and other child advocates who want their state to open charter schools and support giving families more choices, such as[Read More…]
Tag: Florida and private schools
A little legal history to go with those concerns about vouchers & creationism
The Orlando Sentinel recently published a blog entry about a new website that opposes students using publicly-funded vouchers to attend private schools that teach creationism. The site asserts, “Teaching creationism with public money is unconstitutional. It violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which lays out a clear separation[Read More…]
Florida roundup: FCAT, private schools, charter school funding & more
Private schools and FCAT testing. So far, two schools that accept tax credit scholarships have signed up, reports SchoolZone. The deadline is March 1. Charter schools. A bill to be considered by the House Education Committee this week would require school districts to turn over empty buildings to charter schools[Read More…]
Thanks to “voucher,” girl and great-grandma find a school that’s like family
Editor’s note: Every month, Step Up For Students – which co-hosts this blog – profiles a family that benefits from Florida’s tax credit scholarship program. Here’s the latest: Vivian Calhoun is raising a princess. She didn’t plan on it, but it’s working out just fine. She gets to give and receive[Read More…]
Florida roundup: School funding, creationism, teacher evaluations & more
School funding. Gov. Rick Scott proposes to spend $1.2 billion more on public schools next year. Coverage from Tampa Bay Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Lakeland Ledger, Associated Press, News Service of Florida, Naples Daily News, StateImpact Florida, Panama City News Herald. More money will prove lawmakers care, writes Tampa Bay[Read More…]
School choice “should be embraced by all,” says Hillsborough superintendent
Editor’s note: Hillsborough Superintendent MaryEllen Elia was also part of the National School Choice Week event in Tampa yesterday that featured Florida Superintendent Tony Bennett, and her remarks at the all-boys magnet school may have been even more noteworthy. Hillsborough is the eighth biggest school district in the nation. Here is the heart[Read More…]
Word for word: Tony Bennett on school choice, school districts and social justice
Editor’s note: As we reported last night, Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett made newsworthy comments yesterday when he spoke at an all-boys magnet school in Tampa. He suggested school choice wasn’t a matter of public vs. private, and credited Florida school districts – Hillsborough’s in particular – for expanding magnets, career[Read More…]
Most “voucher” schools not afraid of testing, report suggests
The Fordham Institute may be the closest thing to an honest academic broker in the contentious private school choice arena these days, and its latest report will no doubt enhance that reputation. “Red Tape or Red Herring?”, released today, provides strong evidence that private schools are not averse to academic[Read More…]